Specific immunotherapy (SIT) has been used for almost a century but its form of administration is still a matter of
debate. At present curative SIThas only demonstrated its efficiancy, under the conditions that an appropriate allergen extract
is used, and patients are careffuly selected. However, many alergic patients likely to respond to immunotherapy are not
treated specificaly, due to the prevaling opinion that immunotherapy is ineffective, and has more uneffectable side effects
than drug treatment. Direct comparison of efficiancy between immunotherapy and drugs is problematic as this implies a
comparison between a treatment aiming at interfering with the pathophysiological mechanisms of the alergic inflammation
with potential for long term effect, or even cure (immunotherapy), and a treatment abolishing symptoms whi-le being
administered, but without long term preventive capacity (drugs). In most patients the situation is not an either but ra-ther
both and. The advantages of combinig immunotherapy and drugs are related to a higher likelihood of increasing effi-ciancy,
reducing side effects, and improving patient compliance by combining a treatment having an immediate effect with one
functioning more slowly

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